Cultural impacts of community based tourism | VSocial Foundation

Preserving Cultures

Supporting indigenous peoples and rural communities into the future

For thousands of years, indigenous cultures have been passed down from one generation to the next. And indigenous peoples have a unique connection with both their native lands and the natural resources within them – lands, crops and farming practices that are often under threat from intensive agriculture, deforestation and the exodus of young people leaving their ancestral homes in search of employment opportunities in big cities.

By partnering with community projects that support local and indigenous culture, the VSocial Foundation helps communities develop tourism services that can offer indigenous people employment and a better quality of life while at the same time preserving traditional practices and promoting cultural exchange. Projects that give local and indigenous communities the opportunity to take charge of both their history and their futures, and to offer tourism experiences that tell their story to visitors from all over the globe. There's a ripple effect too. Because as these projects succeed and change the lives of the community, they can also change the lives of the communities around them too.

Take Ccottos Capachicha, for example. This community homestay experience on the shores of Lake Titicaca in Peru provides guests with accommodation as well as traditional indigenous meals and an insight into their indigenous agricultural practices, while at the same time allowing the Quechua people to preserve their indigenous culture, train the next generation to tell their story, and maintain their ancestral role of guarding the lake, as the Quechua people have done for generations.

All across the world, VSocial supports indigenous-led cooperatives, and by connecting travelers with them to enjoy a meal, a night at a homestay or another tourist experience, you're directly supporting indigenous people to preserve their culture and achieve a better quality of life for their communities, changes which can sometimes be as simple as improving their homes or building new facilities.

Whether by visiting on a tour or through a donation, your support makes a real difference to all the indigenous communities involved. Take a look at the projects below, and find out how your support can help indigenous peoples across the globe preserve their culture.